The Workshop · 11 min mission
Windsurf and Cascade, now Devin Desktop
Learn the Cascade agent, file-based Rules, Memories, Workflows, and MCP — and the 2026 rebrand to Devin Desktop you cannot ignore.
On this page
Windsurf is the VS Code-derived agentic editor whose Cascade agent loop runs your prompts, calls tools (read/edit files, run terminal commands, web search, MCP), and iterates. As of 2026-06-15 it is owned by Cognition and rebranded to Devin Desktop; Cascade is replaced by the Rust-based Devin Local on 2026-07-01. Below: the exact install steps, Rules/Memories paths and activation modes, Workflow commands, MCP config, tool budgets, and current plans.
Install and first-day setup
Install Devin Desktop
Download from
devin.ai/desktop. Existing Windsurf installs migrate automatically — settings, extensions, and plan carry over unchanged.Drive Devin Local, not Cascade
Cascade still runs but is phased out 2026-07-01 with no opt-out. Use Devin Local (the default local agent) so nothing breaks at the cutover. The agent-loop behavior is identical; migrate any CI/scripts that invoke Cascade explicitly.
Add Rules under `.devin/rules/`
Create
.devin/rules/and commit one short Always On rule (hard constraints) plus one Glob rule scoped to your hottest directory. Both are version-controlled and shared with the team.Connect only the MCP servers you need
Add servers via the MCP Marketplace or by editing
~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json. Stay under the 100-tool cap — prune unused servers rather than collecting them.
Cascade modes
Cascade runs in two modes; select per intent before prompting.
| Mode | Behavior | Use for |
|---|---|---|
Code | Edits files directly | Features, refactors, bug fixes, multi-file changes |
Chat | Proposes code to accept | Codebase Q&A, coding-principle questions |
Rules vs. Memories
Both carry context across sessions, with opposite trade-offs. Rules are developer-authored, version-controlled, and deterministic. Memories are auto-captured by Cascade (or on request — "create a memory of…"), stored locally at ~/.codeium/windsurf/memories/, not committed, machine-specific, and do not consume credits. Durable team conventions go in Rules; one-off machine-local facts go in Memories.
| Dimension | Rules | Memories |
|---|---|---|
| Authored by | You (developer) | Cascade (auto, or on request) |
| Committed to repo | Yes — version-controlled | No — local, machine-specific |
| Shared with team | Yes | No |
| Consumes credits | No | No |
| Best for | Durable conventions, constraints | One-off, throwaway facts |
| Scope | Path | Status / limit |
|---|---|---|
| Workspace (preferred) | .devin/rules/*.md | Preferred; ≤ 12,000 chars/file |
| Workspace (legacy) | .windsurf/rules/*.md | Legacy fallback; still loads |
| Single-file (oldest) | .windsurfrules | Oldest legacy; do not write new |
| Global (account-wide) | ~/.codeium/windsurf/memories/global_rules.md | ≤ 6,000 chars |
| System (Enterprise, macOS) | /Library/Application Support/Devin/rules/*.md | Linux: /etc/devin/rules/*.md |
| Cross-tool | AGENTS.md (no frontmatter) | Root = always-on; subdir = auto-glob |
| Mode | Frontmatter `trigger` | When injected |
|---|---|---|
| Always On | always_on | Full content in system prompt on every message |
| Model Decision | model_decision | Description shown; full content fetched when model judges relevant |
| Glob | glob | When Cascade reads/edits a file matching globs |
| Manual | manual | Only when you type @rule-name |
---
trigger: glob
description: Conventions for test files in this repo
globs: "**/*.test.ts"
---
- Use the project's `describe`/`it` helpers from `test/setup.ts`.
- Every new test must assert on behavior, not implementation details.
- Run the suite with `npm test` before claiming a fix works.Translate a rules file across tools
Write your rules once, ship them everywhere
Every coding agent reads its rules from a different file with its own conventions. Write your project rules once below — then switch tabs to get each tool's native format, ready to copy.
Workflows: reusable slash commands
Workflows package a task sequence as markdown. They live in .windsurf/workflows/*.md (workspace) or ~/.codeium/windsurf/global_workflows/*.md (global) — Workflows did not follow the .devin/ rename, so there is no .devin/workflows/ path. Invoke one with a slash command matching the filename minus .md: build-and-deploy-mytarget.md → /build-and-deploy-mytarget. Cascade can also generate a Workflow from an existing conversation.
Knowledge check
A long set of conventions should apply only when Cascade reads or edits files under `src/api/`. Which rule activation mode and `trigger` value fit?
MCP configuration
Cascade speaks MCP (Model Context Protocol) and consumes Tools, Resources, and Prompts from servers (counting against the 100-tool cap). Configure servers by editing ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json or via the MCP Marketplace (MCPs icon in the Cascade panel, or Settings → Cascade → MCP Servers); official servers show a blue checkmark. Transports: stdio, Streamable HTTP, and SSE, with OAuth per transport. One-click install deeplink: windsurf://windsurf-mcp-registry?serverName=<server-name>.
{
"mcpServers": {
"filesystem": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/project"]
},
"my-api": {
"serverUrl": "https://your-server-url/mcp"
}
}
}Agent Client Protocol (ACP) and the Command Center
The default surface is now the Agent Command Center, a Kanban board orchestrating the local agent (Devin Local), remote Devin Cloud agents that return pull requests, and third-party agents via the Agent Client Protocol (ACP) — an open editor↔agent protocol "similar to how LSP standardized language server integration." Enable ACP agents via Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P) → Windsurf User Settings → Agents tab → toggle on → restart; the per-user registry is ~/.windsurf/acp/registry.json. The classic IDE view and local-only use (no cloud account) remain fully supported.
| Agent | Vendor |
|---|---|
| Codex CLI | OpenAI |
| Claude Agent | Anthropic |
| OpenCode | Open-source |
| Junie | JetBrains |
| Gemini CLI |
Models and pricing
The model picker (redesigned April 2026) offers a cross-vendor lineup with an Adaptive router and Cognition's in-house SWE-1.6 / SWE-1.5 models (SWE-1.6 free on Pro). The lineup changes frequently — Claude Fable 5 was added 2026-06-09 and removed 2026-06-12 — so read the live models page (docs.devin.ai/desktop/models) for the current set. Billing moved from prompt credits to usage-based quotas in March 2026 (daily/weekly allowances that refresh; per-message cost varies by model and task). Exact numeric quotas are not published; Enterprise is billed in Agent Compute Units (ACUs).
| Plan | Price | Key inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Light agent quota; unlimited inline edits + Tab completions |
| Pro | $20/mo | Full model availability; free SWE-1.6; Devin Cloud access |
| Max | $200/mo | Higher quotas; daily limits removed April 2026 |
| Teams | $40/seat/mo | No base fee; admin dashboard; $120 per 1000 pooled credits |
| Enterprise | Custom | SSO; billed in Agent Compute Units (ACUs) |
Reach the end and this star joins your charted sky.